Page 63 of Then and Now (The Edge of Retaliation 3)
I pray Callie doesn’t come running out.
She could get help.
She could get out.
She is our only chance.
He steps in the glass, crunching it into my floor, and comes closer, gun pointed right to my head. “Hello, Joanne.”
He is supposed to be where the men are, not here. He’s meant to be getting shot right about now, not in my house.
No.
God dammit.
Where’s my gun?
I left it in my apartment because I didn’t consider that I’d need it.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“Where’s Callie?”
Get your shit together, Jo. Lie. Callie hasn’t come out yet, which tells me she probably knows they’re here and is hiding. God, I pray she’s hiding. If she’s not, it’s all over for us. I take a deep shaky breath, compose myself and say, “She’s not here.”
He snorts. “I doubt that.”
“They aren’t stupid, you know,” I go on, making up a lie as quickly as I can. “They suspected you might come after us, so they separated us. They’re not going to let you win.”
For a moment, he looks shocked, then he narrows his eyes and clicks his fingers, “Go and check the rest of the apartment.”
God dammit.
Callie.
Hide.
24
CALLIE
I heard the glass smash, and then I heard Jo’s small scream. I went to run out, I did, but then I realized if I run out there, I’m going to end up exactly where they want me, and I won’t be able to get us out of here. Then I heard Jo tell them I wasn’t here, and I knew I had to hide. I only had seconds, not even.
I move as quickly and as quietly as I can, my heart racing. My entire body is on high alert as I run into my walk-in closet. I climb, using a stool I always keep in there because I’m too short to reach the top. I get up onto the top shelf, and I scurry behind all my clothes and suitcases, praying, just praying they won’t see me in here.
Minutes seem to tick by, and my heart races erratically as I think of all the things that could go wrong right now. They must have known the men were coming, it’s the only explanation that makes sense. They are here, because they know we’re alone. They are determined to take us out, no matter the cost.
I hear the door to my bedroom open, and the sound of footsteps. The bathroom door creaks, my bed squeaks, and I know they’re looking for me.
“Come out, Callie,” a voice calls. “We know you’re in here.”
No.
I hold my breath, willing my body to not even twitch.
They open the closet and start throwing my clothes out of the way, shoving boxes aside and looking in. Then they reach up to the top. I press myself as far back as I can, and I pray. They move a few suitcases, throw down a few of my storage bags, but they don’t get up and look further. A moment goes by, and then the door shuts. I exhale, thanking whoever just gave me the luck I needed.
After a few minutes, when I hear them talking in the living room again, I very carefully climb down. It takes me more than a few minutes, because I have to be so damned quiet. When my feet land on the soft carpet, I get to my knees, glancing behind me, and unlock my safe. I have a gun in there, I’m not stupid enough to live alone without one.
I pull it out, flick the safety off, make sure it’s loaded and then I walk slowly toward my bedroom door. I’m willing to kill if it means Jo comes out of this alive. They’re not going to take her; I’m not going to let them take her. I push my door open quietly and tip-toe slowly down the hall, where the voices become clearer.
There is no way I can take out three of them, which has my mind reeling.
I don’t know what to do.
I just know I have to do something.
“Go to her apartment, see if the girl is in there. She wouldn’t be far, report back to me.”
And that, right there is my chance.
If they go, I can deal with this motherfucker far easier. One thing at a time.
I dare to peer around the corner and see Jo in the living area, her hands still up, the man has his back to me thank god. The other two are just walking out the front door, slamming it closed. Now is my chance, only I’m terrified.
I don’t know if I can do it.
I don’t know if I have what it takes.
Can I shoot a man?
He takes a step to Jo and growls, “Where the fuck is she, Joanne?”
“I told you, she’s not here,” Jo spits.
“Well, if she is here, I’m sure I can find a way to lure her out. Don’t you think.”
